Bad Hires? Here’s What To Do

We made a mistake! We hired the wrong person five months ago and now we have a bad hire on our hands. We want to fire the person as soon as possible. Last week, we started a discrete campaign to recruit their replacement. Any suggestions?

RESPONSE. Yes – slow down, take a pause, and thoroughly evaluate the situation. If not, the company may find itself in a similar situation again in another five months.

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

What’s the problem? Is it a behavioral issue? Job performance? Attendance? Attitude? What corrective measures have been applied to address the issue or curtail the behavior? What’s been documented?

Acknowledging a bad hiring decision often comes as a result of the person not being a good fit for the group or the job.

They don’t Fit In

The idea that a new employee doesn’t fit in, often means they don’t fit into the culture of the company, department, unit, etc. For instance, their personality, temperament, demeanor, or something similar is in contrast to that of others within the group.

If this is the case, then a question that should be asked and documented before terminating the person is…

• Has productivity, morale, or effectiveness of the team, unit, etc. declined since the person joined the team? If so, can the decline be attributed to the new person in anyway?

They’re not a good fit for the job

When it is determined that a person is not a good fit for the job, it essentially means the person has failed to meet or exceed the requirements of the position for which they were hired.

If this is the case, then a question that should be asked and documented before terminating the person is…

• What were the measurable, quantifiable expectations in comparison to what was produced? (missed deadlines, unfinished work, error-prone work, etc.)

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NPLI Management Solutions (formerly Non Profit Learning Institute) is a business management services company. We've worked with hundreds of startup & small nonprofits & churches across the US in the following areas: Formation, Compliance, Management Coaching covering Dissolution (close down), workforce development, grantwriting, board development, financial mgmt, program development, marketing and outreach. And, we would love to work with you!